>>1557923And since someone always asks, here it is.
Rattles break off from wear&tear from being dragged across rocks and such.
Just going from experience based on the size of the last button, I would guess this one has lost 6-8 buttons.
Since they get a new button when they shed- if this guy was well fed (rabbit says duh) I would guess an average of 4 sheds a year.
Fun fact:
The rattles evolved to protect them from herds of buffalo. The loudest snakes lived the longest.
Now that the buffalo are gone, the quietest snake lives the longest.
Most of the timbers I find have no rattles- they're not broken off, they just don't grow them.
Scientists say this trait has always been present and are just more common nowadays due to who survives long enough to breed and who doesn't.
